skelton



Jan. 31, 1956 K. v. SKELTON SHELF ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 11, 1952 I Kennel. Ska/Z071,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY FIG. 4

I l k d. States P n The invention relates to store shelves, and more particularly to a shelf attachment for urging packaged commodities toward the front of such shelves.

In many stores, particularly stores in which the patrons help themselves from shelves, it maybe found desirable to constantly urge packages in a row toward the front edge of a shelf, to replace a front package just previously removed from the row.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a shelf attachment, which will act to constantly urge a row of packages toward the front edge of a supporting shelf.

Another object is to provide an attachment for this purpose which will be positive in action, automatic in operation, and which is simple to install.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment for the purposes set forth which is comparatively cheap to manufacture.

An additional object is to provide a shelf attachment of the class described which will exert a comparatively long thrust.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein:

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, a portion being broken away;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing one of the devices operatively installed upon a shelf;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing two of the devices installed in tandem; and,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view showing the devices of Fig. 4.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates, as a whole, a conventional flat horizontal shelf having a transversely extending upstanding flange 2 along its front edge 3, and having its rear edge rigidly anchored to a rigid vertical wall 4.

The device of the present invention consists substantially of two fiat rectangular plates or panels and 11. The lower edge of the plate 10 is accurately bent to form a plurality of tubate hinge-ears 12. Similar tubate ears 13 are formed on the upper edge of a strip 16, and a hinge-pin 14 passes through the ears 12 and 13 to pivotally connect the plate 10 and strip 16. A helical spring 15 surrounds the hinge-pin 14, and the ends of' the spring 15 bear against the plate 10 and strip 16 and tends to urge the upper end of the plate 10 forwardly to substantially a 90 relationship with the strip 16. Wood screws 17 act to rigidly attach the strip 16 to the front face of the wall 4. I

The upper edges of the two plates 10 and 11 are bent to form tubate hinge-ears 18 and 19 respectively. A hinge-pin 20 is passed through the cars 18 and 19 to pivotally connect the plates 10 and 11 together. A

2,732,952 rammed Jan.i1 -1-95 2 helical spring 21'surrounds the hinge-pin 20, and its ends bear against the faces of the plates so that the two are urged toward uni-planar relationship.

The lower edge of the plate or panel 11 is arcuately bent to form a plurality of hinge-ears 22 which receive a horizontal hinge-pin 23. The hinge-pin 23 pivotally engages an car 24 which is formed by arcuately bending one edge portion of a follower strip 25. Immediately in front of each of the hinge-ears 22, the upper surface of the strip 25 is provided with two spaced parallel upstanding ribs 26 and 27, which are rigidly positioned thereon.

In operation, the device is installed as shown in Fig. 2, with the follower strip 25 resting upon the upper surface of the shelf 1, and the panel 11 is manually pressed rearwardly toward the back wall 4. A row of packaged commodities is placed on the shelf in front of the plate 11. The rearmost package 28 of the row is placed upon the follower strip 25, with its rearmost surface against the front face of the rib 26, and with the front face of the forward package 29 contacting the rear surface of the flange or cleat 2. The action of the two springs 15 and 21 simultaneously urge the followerstrip 25 toward the front edge of the shelf 1.

In cases where a longer thrust or sweep is desired than can be obtained by a single one'of thethrusting devices,

two of them may be coupled together in the manner illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

One of the devices is installed as above described. The strip 16 of another similar device is thrust into the groove between the two ribs 26 and 27. When" thus coupled together, the two devices will expand toward the front of the shelf for a distance approximately double the thrusting distance of a single device.

It is pointed out, that although not shown in the drawings herein, it is intended that the wall 4 will be provided with another horizontal shelf substantially like the shelf 1, but located barely above the upper edge of the device. The proximity of this second shelf acts to prevent the customer from reaching any package in the row, except the front one.

It is obvious that any plurality of the devices may be coupled together to obtain a longer thrust.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shelf attachment for thrusting packaged goods toward the front edge of a shelf, said shelf rearwardly connected to a vertical wall including: a pair of substantially vertically juxtaposed fiat plates facing forwardly and rearwardly on said shelf; a pair of horizontally aligned pivot ears adjacent the uppermost edge of each of said plates, the ears of one of said plates centrally spaced apart and interdigitated with the ears of the other said plate; a hinge-pin extending through said interdigitated ears; a helically wound spring carried by said inge pin between said spaced apart ears and engaged with said plates for forcing the same from the vertical toward substantially a horizontal plane; a comparatively narrow strip disposed in edge-abutting relationship and in substantially face to face alignment with the lower edge of said rearward plate, said strip rigidly anchored to said vertical wall; a pair of horizontally aligned pivot ears adjacent the abutted edges of each of said rearward plate and said strip, the ears of said strip centrally spaced apart and interdigitated with the ears of said rearward plate; a second hinge-pin extending through said interdigitated ears of said rearward plate and said strip; and

a second helically wound spring carried by said second hinge-pin between said spaced apart ears and engaged V with said strip and said rearward plate for forcing the upper edge of the plate forwardly, thereby permitting the said forward plate to thrust packaged goods toward the front 'edge of said shelf.

2. A shelf attachment for thrusting packaged goods toward the front edge of a shelf, said shelf rearwardly connected to a. vertical wall, including: a pair of substantially vertically juxtaposed fiat plates; a pair of horizontally aligned pivot ears adjacent the uppermost edge of each of said plates, the ears of one of said plates centrally spaced apart and interdigitated with the ears of the other said plate; a hinge-pin extending through said interdigitated cars; a helically wound spring carried by said hinge pin between said spaced apart ears and engaged with said plates for forcing the same from the vertical toward substantially a horizontal plane; a comparatively narrow strip disposed in edge-abutting relationship and face-to-face alignment with the lower edge of rearward plate, said strip rigidly anchored to said vertical wall; a pair of horizontally aligned pivot cars adjacent the abutted edges of each of said rearward plate and said strip, the ears of said strip centrally spaced apart and interdigitated with the ears of said rearward plate; a second hinge-pin extending through said interdigitated ears of said rearward plate and said strip; a second helically wound spring carried by said second hinge-pin between said spaced apart ears and engaged with said strip and said rearward plate for forcing the upper edge of the plate forwardly; a substantially fiat follower strip horizontally disposedo'n said shelf having its rearward edge adjacent the lowermost edge of said forward plate; a pair of horizontally aligned pivot ears adjacent the lowermost edge of said forward plate; a horizontally disposed pivot ear adjacent the rearward edge of said follower strip interdigitated with said ears on the lowermost edge of said forward plate; a third hinge-pin extending through said interdigitated ears on said forward plate and said follower strip permitting the latter to remain in face-to-face contact with' said shelf as said plates move forwardly; and vertically disposed ribs rigidly carried by the upper surface of said follower strip adjacent its rear edge for engaging and heldingpackaged goods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,271,508 Hall July 2, 1918 1,473,640 Peterson Nov. 13, 1923 1,502,164 Straub July 22, 1924 1,768,379 Smith June 24, 1930 1,826,597 Brecht Oct. 6, 1931 1,895,661 Horwitt Jan. 31, 1933 2,027,669 Broeren Jan. 14, 1936 2,034,516 Hunt et a1. Mar. 17, 1936 2,079,754 Waxgiser May 11, 1937 2,106,108 Parsons Jan. 18, 1938 2,111,496 Scriba Mar. 15, 1938 2,175,059 Lower Oct. 3, 1939 

